Man, I have been broke. I grew up not poor, but not well to do. My dad's dad was a farmer and my mom's dad was a musician. I mention this because it creates a normalization of not being able to afford more than what is necessary to grow up without. It creates parents who tell their kids that love is more important than toys. It creates kids who grow up thrifty in a world that advertises flashy and new. It creates people who can't afford to give a f**k about trends or fashion or the latest thing, who stand by statements like, “if it ain't broke don't fix it.” because fixing it isn't in the budget, people who love an old shirt and each other. Having to make your own way gives one the kind of undupeable quality that long consideration of the pros and cons of your expenditures bolsters. I've generally always had enough money for drinks, or knew where there was a party. Being good company is an asset in the drinks economy. Often however you need a start-up amount, a little something to take the edge off as it were. The world in which everyone is going out for drinks is a real place. It has everything that the real world has in it. Everything. It has been the hugest transition in my life to go from that world to this one. I wrote a prayer to it once: that world where the drinks economy is the focus. The first thing I put on Bandcamp was a thing called Re-inventing the Wheel. It has this song on it, but almost no one bought it, so I made no bones about putting it on a later release, Donkey Island. The recording here is the Donkey Island one, but I'll leave a link to both after the lyrics. This is a prayer for the downtown, ‘cause it's someplace to be. I've got something I've been meaning to show you baby, and you've got something I've been meaning to see. I ain't seen much of it lately. I ain't had no money to burn, but tonight I've got two dimes to rub together and it seems like it must be my turn. So when you finish your cocktail, if you're in need of a ride, I'll be in the back seat of that great big yellow taxi that's just about to arrive outside. Me, I can talk to a cabbie or you and me can leave him alone, but my skinny ass taking up the whole of this back seat is just about as useful as a dime for the phone. So this is a prayer for the downtown sung to a rearview mirror, through a car window, through a bar window, because I can't tell whether you're settling up or ordering one more beer until you turn from the window and I say, “Fever, take me home.” And he says, “Awe man, this one is on me buddy cuz what's seven dollars worth of being alone.” And as the cab rounds the corner, you step out into the street, and you curse my name into the night wind and walk away from where we used to meet…toward someplace on the alley where nothing ever goes down, and you can sit there and stare into your cell phone and order round after round after round. My sweet love, where do you roam? If it wasn't just me up in this place, you and me we could call it a home. Oh my love, where have you gone? You left me here all tricked out and dirty tryin’ to raise some attention with this fifty cent song…. Which is a prayer for the downtown, because it's someplace to be. I've got something I've been meaning to show you, baby, and you've got something I've been meaning to see. I wrote the lyrics while walking to the bar from the east side. I can feel the walking pace in ‘em still. Here's the links: https://samknutson.bandcamp.com/track/a-prayer-for-the-downtown Aaand https://samknutson.bandcamp.com/track/a-prayer-for-the-downtown-2 The first one is nsfw. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samknu.substack.com
